


Family Matters

by zelicious



Category: The Hobbit (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-21
Updated: 2013-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-26 07:53:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/648274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zelicious/pseuds/zelicious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bilbo Baggins and his rather unconventional family are often the topic of neighborhood gossip, not that Bilbo pays much attention to it. Modern AU with lots of domestic fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Matters

# Family Matters

 

“You must remember, family is often born of blood, but it doesn't depend on blood. Nor is it exclusive of friendship. Family members can be your best friends, you know. And best friends, whether or not they are related to you, can be your family.”  
― Trenton Lee Stewart

 

To say Bilbo Baggins’ family was unconventional would be putting it lightly. More often than not he found himself the topic of hot gossip around the neighborhood. However, he had stopped caring a long time ago about wether or not people talked about him. One had to deal with that sort of thing when they had such a crazy family as his. 

It began in freshman year of college. Bilbo was dropped off on campus by his parents the day before classes started. His mother Belladonna was, as usual, chattering excitedly about all the mischief Bilbo would surely get up to in the next four years (she was right of course) while his father Bungo quietly muttered about ‘young people these days’ and helped carry boxes. His room was at the end of the hall on the fourth floor (Bungo had not been very pleased about the lack of an elevator). When they got there it was empty. 

“What was your roommates name darling? I’ve forgotten already,” Belladonna asked, setting the quilt she’d made Bilbo when he was very young on one of the beds. Bungo set the tower of boxes he’d been carrying on the floor, not without a long winded, complaint filled speech which was ignored by the other two. Bilbo searched in his pockets until he found the paper. 

“Ah, his name is Thorin. Thorin Oakenshield,” he said. As if on cue, someone appeared in the doorway. Belladonna saw him first, having been facing the door, and immediately launched into a myriad of babble. 

“Oh my, you must be him! Well hello Mr. Oakenshield, I’m Belladonna, Bilbo’s mother, he’s right here,” She said cheerfully, grabbing Bilbo’s shoulders and spinning him around. Thorin Oakenshield was as intimidating as his name sounded. Bilbo had to crane his head a bit to see his face. His eyes were a piercing blue and his gaze was hard and almost frightening. Bilbo squeaked a hello while his mother continued chatting amiably as though Thorin were a small child instead of a rather large young man. “You two will be fast friends, I just know it. Do you have any other things to bring up dear? Are you alone? My husband Bungo can help you if you need it. I hope you and Bilbo get along, just be kind to him and he’ll warm up right quick, does with everyone. You know once at a work party Bilbo cozied up to this older boy, one of Bungo’s friends’ sons. He was only seven or eight, my Bilbo, and this boy must have been at least eleven, and by the end of the night we were frantically searching for them and guess where we found them? In the-” 

“Mum!” Bilbo finally shouted, face burning with embarrassment. He quickly ducked out of his mothers hold and busied himself with taking books out of boxes. If he’d been looking, he would have seen Thorin watching him with a small, barely noticeable smile. 

As always, Belladonna Baggins was right. Very quickly Bilbo and Thorin became close friends, one was almost never seen without the other. Thorin, contrary to Bilbo’s belief, was actually a bit of a pushover and Bilbo, contrary to Thorin’s (and most others) belief was a very hardheaded and spunky little fellow of four feet eleven inches. 

During their last year of university, Bilbo had gathered the courage to give Thorin a quick peck on the lips one quiet afternoon. The look of shock on Thorin’s face slowly faded into a wide grin. A few years later, with the help of Thorin’s rich father and even richer grandfather, both of whom were overly fond of Bilbo, they moved into a nice little house with a big front yard and back garden. 

Now this was not when the gossiping started. Sure they turned a few heads walking down the street, little Bilbo and his big strong boyfriend, but no one really thought it too unconventional. Then one stormy night Thorin’s sister Dis showed up, two boys in tow. 

_________________________________________

 

“I need you to look after them,” She said seriously to Thorin. Bilbo was in the guest bedroom with the boys, seeing them off to bed. Thorin was sitting in the kitchen with his rain-soaked younger sister. 

“What are you talking about Dis? What’s going on?” He asked. She shivered, whether from cold or something else Thorin knew not. 

“I’m going away for a while,” She replied lowly. Thorin clenched his fist. 

“Dis, if you need help just tell me. We can-” 

“I need to do this alone,” she interrupted. Something in her voice made Thorin stop arguing. 

“How long will you be gone?” he asked quietly. She stared at the countertop, wet hair dripping onto the marble. 

She took a deep shuddering breath through her nose. “I don’t know.” 

“Will you come back?” Thorin asked, but he already knew the answer. 

When Bilbo came into the kitchen with an armful of towels he was shocked to find that Dis was gone, a small puddle on the kitchen island and the two boys sleeping in the guest room the only evidence of her ever having been there. “Where did she go?” Bilbo asked, gently rubbing Thorin’s shoulders. He got no reply. 

“The boys went to sleep just fine,” Bilbo said, trying to fill the silence, “Kili put up a bit of a fight, but Fili got him to go down after a few minutes. They’re good boys.” Still Thorin was silent. Bilbo guided him from the kitchen to the couch in the living room. He sat down and pulled Thorin’s head into his lap, idly running his fingers along Thorin’s scalp the way he liked it. “How old are they?” Bilbo asked.

After a minute, Thorin spoke. “Kili is seven,” he said, “Fili is nine.” Bilbo frowned a bit. 

“Dis must have been very young when she had them,” he mused. Thorin nodded.

“She was only sixteen when she had Fili,” he said. Bilbo stroked a finger along Thorin’s rough cheek. 

“Fili acts so brave for his brother. Sweet thing, didn’t shed a tear while Kili cried for mum. I could tell he wanted to though.” Thorin only closed his eyes and leaned into Bilbo’s touch. “Don’t worry, love,” he whispered, “Everything is going to be just fine.” The same words he had said to two frightened boys a few minutes ago lulled Thorin to sleep as well. 

_________________________________________

 

Bilbo of course loved the boys to death and spoiled them rotten. Thorin could hardly even scold them for fear of Bilbo swooping down and yelling at him for being mean to them. After a while they started calling Thorin dad and Bilbo papa and everything went smoothly. The two got into the best school their city could offer, mostly because Bilbo was very menacing when it came to his boys and with Thorin standing by no one felt very compelled to argue with him. Every morning Bilbo would take them to school on his way to the publishing company he worked at while Thorin went off to work at the family business, and life was disgustingly domestic. 

The gossip started here. It was almost comical, seeing Bilbo rush his boys off to school in the morning, berating Kili for making them late once again. The two of them were very nearly as tall as Bilbo already, but if the boys were honest, they were more afraid of Bilbo when he was angry than Thorin. However, Bilbo didn’t mind his gossipy neighbors. He loved all three of his boys and no one was going to change that. After a year, Bilbo and Thorin got legal guardianship of the boys and life was close to normal again.

One Saturday morning during the summer everyone was home in the living room. Fili and Kili were watching a movie while Bilbo knitted them scarves for the winter and Thorin napped. The doorbell rang and Bilbo quickly got up and went to answer it. “Hello?” he asked, opening the door. A tall woman was standing in the doorway.

“Is this the Oakenshield residence?” she asked. 

“Yes..” Bilbo replied. 

“Are you Bilbo Baggins?” she asked. Bilbo nodded. 

Back in the living room Fili had muted the TV when he heard the strange voice and he and Kili were listening intently. 

There was silence for a moment, then the woman said “Mr. Baggins I think it would be best if we discussed when I return. I need to go get something first.” 

A few minutes later Bilbo had woken Thorin and shooed Fili and Kili off to their room (the guest bedroom had been renovated for them). He anxiously paced the floor while he waited for the woman to return, and Thorin was failing to calm him. “I just know it’s something bad Thorin, I just know it,” he said, rubbing his hands together. 

There was another knock on the door and Bilbo rushed to answer it. Thorin watched Bilbo’s face as he opened the door. It changed from apprehensive, to shocked, and then crumpled in sadness. He quickly ran to Bilbo’s side, wrapping his arms around the smaller’s shoulders. On the porch there was a stern, professional looking woman and a very tiny young boy with wide blue eyes an an unruly mess of dark hair looking up at them. 

“What happened?” Bilbo asked in a strained voice. Thorin quickly moved Bilbo aside and let their guests in, leading them to the the living room. Fili and Kili’s movie was still playing on mute. The small boy sat on the floor in front of the TV and occupied himself with it while Bilbo and Thorin sat on the couch and the woman on a chair next to it. “What happened?” Bilbo repeated, his voice cracking. 

“They were on vacation,” The woman said with a sigh. Thorin wanted to ask what the other two were talking about, but he felt it wasn’t a good time. “In Hawaii. They rented a boat and there was an unexpected storm.” Bilbo tensed against Thorin’s side. “The boat overturned...” the woman trailed off as Bilbo let out a sob. Thorin hugged him tighter and looked at the boy watching the silent movie. The people must have been his parents. 

“Frodo,” Bilbo whispered, and when the boy didn’t turn around he said it a bit louder. The boy turned, looking at Bilbo with confusion. “Frodo darling, I’m your uncle Bilbo,” he said, forcing a smile. He held his arms out and a bit hesitantly Frodo came to him. “I don’t think you remember me, but I met you when you were a very little baby. Oh, love, you’re such a big boy now,” he said, holding Frodo on his lap. Frodo smiled and then turned his gaze to Thorin. “That’s uncle Thorin. He looks scary but he’s a big softie. Like a teddy bear.” 

Frodo laughed and reached a small hand to grab at Thorin’s nose. “It’s big,” he said in a light, childish voice. Bilbo laughed too, and Thorin smiled. Frodo looked like a tinier version of Bilbo with darker hair. Behind them there was a loud thump and neither Thorin nor Bilbo had to turn around to know Fili and Kili had been unsuccessfully snooping. 

“Come here, boys,” Bilbo called, hastily wiping his eyes so as not to worry the two. Fili and Kili bounded in, both fighting for the spot next to Bilbo. Kili won and snuggled close to Bilbo while Fili sat next to him with slight pout. 

“Who’s that, papa?” Kili asked, poking at one of Frodo’s bare feet. The woman raised an eyebrow but said nothing. 

“This is Frodo,” Bilbo said, repositioning the boy so that he was facing the other two. Kili and Fili grinned at him, he was so cute and small, like mum! “Frodo, this is Fili and Kili,” Bilbo said, pointing at each brother to clarify. 

“Are you twins?” Frodo asked in wonder. 

“I’m older,” Fili was quick to point out. Bilbo rolled his eyes. “We’re brothers.” 

“I don’t have and brothers,” Frodo said a bit sadly. Bilbo looked as though he might start crying again. 

Kili noticed Bilbo's distress and said “We’ll be your brothers, Frodo! Would you like that?” 

Frodo nodded excitedly. “C’mon, let’s go play! I’ve got lot’s of toys,” Fili said. The boys looked at Bilbo for permission and after getting a nod of approval they led Frodo to their room, chattering happily along the way. When the room was quiet again the woman spoke.

“I was not informed that you had children,” she said. Bilbo flushed slightly and patted Thorin’s hand which was resting on his hip. 

“They’re not my children exactly, but they’re as good as. They’re Thorin’s nephews, they were left in our care,” he said. Thorin pressed a kiss to the crown of Bilbo’s head. 

“I wish I had known. I suppose I’ll have to find another family member to take him,” she remarked disappointedly.

“What?” Bilbo asked. The woman blinked owlishly at him. 

“You have two other children already living with you,” she said slowly, “surely you cannot take care of a six year old as well.” Bilbo puffed up his chest a bit. 

“Thorin and I are very well off, we can take care of Frodo with no problem. In fact, I insist that we take him. It’s what Drogo and Primula would have wanted, and there’s no way I’m letting Lobelia have him,” he said sternly. The woman smiled. 

“I have the adoption papers here,” she said, “let’s get started.” 

_________________________________________

 

“Have you seen those Durins next door? They’ve got another little one! Looks just like that Bilbo boy,” said Mrs. Chubb. She was visiting with Mrs. Whitfoot and as usual the young family in the last house on their street was the topic of the weeks gossip. 

“Not another!” Mrs. Whitfoot gasped, sounding scandalized. “Why Bilbo can’t be older than twenty-six, and the big one (no one bothered learning Thorin’s name as they were too scared to ask) maybe twenty-seven. Three kids already!” Mrs. Whitfoot shook her head in a disapproving manner. 

“Well I heard-” Mrs. Chubb began, but she was cut off by shouting coming from the house next door. Being the nosy women they were, the pair of them snuck to the window where they could see Bilbo and Thorin’s front yard very clearly. 

Fili threw a baseball to Kili who caught it and gently tossed it to Frodo. Frodo caught it and jumped up and down in excitement. “I got it! I got it! Did you see papa? I got it!” He shouted at Bilbo who was sitting on the porch with Thorin, reading a book. 

“Yes, darling, very good!” Bilbo called back, smiling at the youngest of his boys. He turned to Thorin and pecked him on the lips. “Aren’t they just the sweetest things?” he asked. Thorin nodded, moving in for a less chaste kiss, which Bilbo coyly ducked away from. “Let’s have another.” 

Thorin’s eyes widened. “Bilbo I don’t think we-” Bilbo cut him off with a deep kiss, only pulling away when Kili started screaming about his poor innocent eyes. 

“I want a little girl,” Bilbo said, stroking a finger down Thorin’s chest. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have daughter?” Thorin stood abruptly. 

“Boys, stay in the yard,” He said in a very strained voice. Then he grabbed Bilbo’s arm and pulled him back into the house. Mrs. Chubb and Mrs. Whitfoot shook their heads and went back into the living room, muttering about the two young parents. Honestly, they were just jealous of Bilbo and Thorin’s happy, hodgepodge little family.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed this, it's my first fanfiction for the Hobbit as well as my first to be posted on AO3. If you catch any mistakes please feel free to tell me! Thank you for reading ꒰ •́ ˑ̫ •̀ ꒱ 彡☆


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